Chkistopher



(ModeL) GLGfSHELBY. Shoulder Brace and Suspenders.

No. 239,860. Patented April 5,1881.

MPEYKRS, FHOTO'LITHOGRAPHER. WASHMGTON D C.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER G. SHELBY, OF NEW YORK, N Y.

SHOULDER-BRACE AND SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,60, dated April 5,1881.

Application filed February 19, 1881. (ModeL) 5 in Shoulder-Braces andSuspenders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention; Fig. 2, a detail view ofthe means by which the two portions of the webbing are united; Fig. 3, asectional view taken on the line a: m, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view of one ofthe 15 front loops; and, Fig. 5, aview of a modified form of brace.

Similarletters of reference in the several figures denote the sameparts.

This invention relates particularly to that class of shoulder-braces inwhich the loops or cords, to which the pantaloons of the wearer areattached, are connected flexibly to the webbing or straps that go overthe shoulders of the wearer by means of friction-pulleys,

to the wearer and his pantaloons made to set properly.

The invention has for its object the improvement of such devices; and tothis end it consists, first, in a novel contrivance for securing the twoparts of the webbing together at the back of the wearer, and also forcarrying friction-pulleys, over which the rear cords pass secondly, inan improved construction of front cords or loops, whcrebythey areenabled to be attached to and suspend the drawers as well as thepautaloons of the wearer and, thirdly, in the general construction ofthe braces, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

in the drawings, A A represent two pieces of webbing adapted to passover the shoulders of the wearer after the manner of ordinarysuspenders, and having the usual means B for lengthening and shorteningthem. The two pieces of webbing are brought together at the back andsecured by a fastening, (3. (Shown more clearly in the detail view, Fig.2.) This fasteningis composed of two sheet-metal parts, each consistingof a main portion, 0, and two lateral extensions or branches, 0 c. Themain portions 0 are adapted to hold the ends of both pieces of webbingbetween them,and suitable whereby ease and freedom of motion are giveneyelets c extend through them and through the webbing to effect a strongand secure connection. The lateral extensions or branches 0 c are struckup from the main portionsc, so as to leave suflicient space between forthe accommodation of friction-pulleys p p, one in the end ofeach branch.The pivots ofthese pulleys preferably consist of short metal tubes orhollow rivets p 1), turned down at each end, so as to materially'assistin. binding the parts of the fastenings together. Cords 01 (2 passaround the pulleyspp, and the looped end d of each of them is secured toone of the back buttons of the pantaloons, while the opposite looped endd is secured to the button nearest the hip of the wearer. The frontcords, F, after passing around friction-pulleys attached to the webbing,are secured firmly together atf, and one of their ends is provided witha loop, f, by which to attach it to the forward button of thepantaloons, while the other of their ends is provided with aspring-clasp, f for the attachment of the band of the wearers drawers.The same cord is thus enabled to perform a double function-viz., ofholdingthe drawers as well as the pantaloons while the strain or tensionproduced by either garment does not affect the other, because of therigid connection or binding together of the adjacent parts of the cordat the point f.

Various modes of attaching the cords to the fastening G at the back maybe devised diiferent from that shown in Fig. 1. For example, one cordmay be passed over both pulleys, and a pulley on a second cord made toengage with a loop on the first cord between the pulleys, as shown inFig. 5.

The fastening is adapted to be applied to other styles of braces of theclass in which the webbing is united at the back, and the connectionwith the cords or securing-straps is effected by means of pulleys.

It may, in some cases, be necessary to locate but one pulley in thefastening, under which circumstances, instead'of providing two lateralextensions or branches, 0 c, it will be necessary to provide but oneextension or branch-at the middle--containing a single' pulley.

It will be observed that in the form of brace shown in Fig. l, thebranches of the cords which extend from the pulleys p p to the buttonsat the hips of the wearer run at such an angle as not to rub, chafe, orannoy the wearer, as the corresponding cords do in other braces of thisclass. This improved effectresults from the bringing together of the twopieces of webbing low down on the back of the wearer by means of thefastening C, and in connecting the cords directly to said fastening, asdescribed. When the wearer stands erect all the loops draw equally onthe several buttons of the pantaloons, and the latter are held properlyadjusted but when he bends forward all the loops perceptibly slacken andthe pantaloons are not drawn uncomfortably tight, asin ordinary braces.The value of this feature of the invention will be fully appreciated.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new- 1. The combination,with the two pieces of webbing, of the two-part fastening 0, adapted tohold the webbing by clamping it between its parts, and carrying one ormore frictionpulleys over which the back cord-loops pass, substantiallyas described.

' 2. The fastening 0, consisting of the two parts,

each composed of a main portion, 0, and lateral extensions 0 c, thelatter being struck up from the main portions for the accommodation ofthe pulleys p p, in combination with said pulleys and the means forsecuring the fastenin g to the webbin g,snbstantially as described.

3. The front cords, F, passed through the front pulleys, with theiradjacent parts secured together at f, and each having at one enda1oop,f, and at the other a spring-clasp, f substantially as described,for the purpose specified.

CHRISTOPHER O. SHELBY.

Witnesses:

JOHN MOMAHON, FRANK VARIAN.

